Bengaluru:  The State government has set up the Kodagu Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Development Authority to expedite the reconstruction of the district ravaged by floods and rain during August this year.

The Authority, which will be headed by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, will have Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande and Minister for Tourism and Sericulture S.R. Mahesh, who is also Minister in charge of Kodagu district, as Vice-Presidents.

Minister for Housing U.T. Khader, Minister for Public Works H.D. Revanna and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Krishna Byre Gowda are among the Members of the Authority along with Lok Sabha Member Pratap Simha, MLAs K.G. Bopaiah & Appachu Ranjan and MLC Sunil Subramani.

The Authority also includes local elected representatives and officials. Kumaraswamy, during his visit to rain-ravaged Kodagu on Oct. 17, had announced that an Authority would be set up to expedite the implementation of the projects.